Carpet-stretcher.



PATENTED NOV. 8. 1904.

J. J. MOORE.

CARPET STRETGHER. APPLICATION FILED xov. 24, 190s.

NO MODEL.

i1 II. wm me/isow 7'C I [I UNITED STATES Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT OrrrcE.

CARPET-STRETCHER;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,596, dated November 8, 1904.

Application filed November 24, 1903.- Serial No. 182,485. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bula, in the county of Monongalia, State of West Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet-Stretchersj and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to carpet-stretchers, and more particularly to that class embodying rack-and-lever mechanism, and has for its object to provide a device of this nature which will be simple of construction and cheap of manufacture and which will be so constructed as to permit of readily tacking the carpet, no portion of the device lying in such a position as to interfere with this operation.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in which like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views, Figure l is a perspective view of the device as it appears during'the operation of stretching the carpet. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cross-head and a portion of the base-plate.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises a rectangular base-plate 5, of castiron or other suitable material, which has formed upon its upper face a series of ratchet teeth 6, arranged longitudinally thereof. On the underside of the base-plate 5 are a pair of blocks 7 and 8, the blocks 7 being formed integral with the plate,while the block 8 is attached thereto by means of screws, as shown. The block 8 has a transverse slot 9 in its upper face, which receives the bight of a U-shaped bar 10, the base-plate 5 acting to hold the bar within the slot when the block is secured thereto. The ends 11 of the bar 10 are bent at an acute angle and are sharpened for engagement with a floor or other surface upon which the device is to be used, it.

being understood that the U-shaped bar 10 is movable pivotally within the slot 9. The ratchet-teeth 6 are raised above the surface of the base-plate 5, so that the plate is of substantially T shape in cross-section. A cross-head 12 is provided, which has a recess 13 in its face 14: of a size to receive the base-plate 5 and has. projecting from its opposite face 15 a series of pins 16, directed at an angle to the face of the cross-head, and which when the cross-head is in position upon the base-plate project in the direction of the end of the baseplate which carries the block 8.

To hold the cross-head 12 upon the baseplate 5, a pair of plates 17 and 18, which have their ends 17' and 18, respectively, bent at right angles to the remainder of the plates, are provided and are secured to the face 14 of the cross-head, with their upwardly-tnrned edges over the recess 13, but spaced suiticiently far apart to receive the ratchet-teeth 6 therebetween. There is thus formed a T- shaped slot whichreceives the base-plate.

Between the upwardly-turned edges 17 and 18 of the plates 17 and 18 there is pivoted the end of a hand-lever 19, which has pivoted in its lower end a pair of dogs 20 and 21, the latter being of greater length than the former. These dogs engage the ratchet-teeth 6 alternately as the handle 19 is moved upon its pivot, the dog 20 engaging the teethwhen the handle is moved toward the end of the baseplate carrying the block 8 and the dog 21 engaging the teeth when the handle is moved in the opposite direction. This alternating engagement acts to move the cross-head toward the block 8. When it is desired to move the cross-head in the opposite direction, the handle 19 is moved upwardly, which disengages the dogs from the teeth 6, and the cross-head may then be slid along the base-plate, as desired.

The end of the base-plate 5, carrying the block 7, which'for convenience may be termed the rearward end of the plate, is provided with a slot-22, which has pivoted therein a ,hook 23, having a sharpened bill 24:, which maybe engaged with the surface upon which the stretcher is used in the same manner as are the sharpened ends of the U-shaped bar 10.

'In operation the ends of the bar 10 are hammered into the surface upon which the carpet is to be laid, at one edge thereof, and the pins 16 are engaged in the carpet. The handle 19 is now operated to move the cross-head upon the base-plate and stretch the carpet. The hook 23 is then pounded through the carpet E into the floor and the endsof the U-shaped bar 10 are disengaged from the floor, the hook 23 then acting to hold the device against movement under the tension of the stretched carpet. its pivot it no longer interferes with the operation of tacking the carpet, and the carpet may be drawn up closely to the wall and tacked.

In practice modifications of the specific construction shown maybe made and any suitable material and proportions may be used without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is-- l. A carpet-stretcher comprising a ratchetbar a cross-head slidably disposed upon the bar, means formoviiig the cross-head in one direction, means cooperating with the ratchetbar to prevent movement of the cross-head in the opposite direction, means carried by the cross-head for engagement of a carpet, means attached at one end of the ratchet-bar for preventing movement of the device under tension of the stretched carpet and means attached to the other end of the ratchet-bar to prevent such movement when the first mentioned l Vith the bar 10 moved upwardly upon l means is disengaged.

2. A carpet-stretcher comprising a ratchet bar, a cross-head slidably disposed upon the bar, means for moving the cross-head in one direction, means cooperating with the ratchetbar to prevent movement of the cross-head in the opposite direction, means carried by the cross-head for engagement of the carpet, and hooks pivoted at either end of the ratchet-bar and adapted for interchangeable engagement of the surface upon which the carpet is being laid to hold the device against movement under tensionof the stretched carpet.

3. A carpet-stretcher comprising a ratchetbar, a cross-head slidably disposed upon the bar, means for moving the cross-head in one direction, means cooperating with the ratchetratchet-bar at the forward end thereof, a U- shaped member disposed with its bight in the slot and having the free end of its legs bent into hook form, said hooks being adapted for engagement with the surface upon which the carpet is being laid to prevent movement of the device under tension of the stretched carpet, and a hook member pivoted in the rearward end of the ratchet-bar and adapted for engagement with the surface upon which the carpet is being laid, the first-mentioned hook being adapted to be disengaged from the surface after the last-named hook has been engaged to permit of tacking of the carpet.

4:. A carpet-stretcher comprising a baseplate having ratchet-teeth projecting from the upper face thereof, said teeth being of lesser width than the base-plate, supports upon the under face of the base-plate at the ends thereof, a slotted cross-head disposed with its slot engaged with the base-plate and lying with the bottom of the slot against the under face of the base-plate, angular plates secured to the upper face of the cross-head and projecting over the base-plate and lying With their angular portions parallel with the sides of the ratchet-teeth, a lever pivoted between the angular portions above the ratchet-teeth, a pair of dogs pivoted to the lever above and below the point of its pivotal connection with the angular portions of the plate, said dogs being adapted for interchangeable engagement with the ratchet-teeth when the lever is moved upon its pivot to move the cross-head in one direction longitudinally of the base-plate, said lever being movable upon its pivot to disengage both of the dogs from the ratchet-teeth to permit of movement of the cross-head in the opposite direction, means carried by the cross-head for engagement of a carpet, and means connected with the device to hold the latter against movement under tension of the stretched carpet.

In testimony whereofl affix my signature in bar to prevent movement of the cross-head presence of two witnesses.

in the opposite direction, means carried by the cross-head for engagement of a carpet, a block having a slot in one of its faces secured with its slotted face against the under side of the JOHN J. MOORE. \Vitnesses:

ZORA PRICE, CLAUDE H. BOWMAN. 

